Hi all-

I've been scanning the forum off and on for about a year now, and I think I'm finally ready to move forward with my decision to get something done about my hairloss. To be honest, this is a huge and terrifying decision for me to make, so any and all input will be greatly appreciated. Here is a little bit about my situation:

I'm currently 25 years old and a NW 5A. My hairloss started when I was approx. 17 with recession in the temples. I tried Rogaine with no noticable results for 15 months when I was 22-23 but gave up after much frustration. I originally thought that Bosley, "the pioneer in hair transplantation" was the only show in town and had a consultation late last year. I was horrified by their consultant who showed me his recent ugly-looking procedure and the fact that he tried to pressure me to sign up on the spot. I sprinted from the office (embellishment) and found this forum when I got home.

I'm sure that most others who have lost so much hair at an early age can attest to the huge loss of confidence I've had in my appearance. As a result, I've been using a terrible and time consuming method of a "comb-forward" and to be quite honest...its awful. I'm now to the point where I either need to get the transplant or shave my head. I really have no desire to be shaven for the rest of my life, so I'm leaning towards the transplant.

I currently live in Philadelphia and I'm willing to travel for consultations/surgery but I'd like to be within driving distance. It seems that there are some good docs in NY which would work for me, but I'm open to other options as well.

Here is my current list of questions:
1. At 25, is it too early for a transplant?
2. Cost... Does anyone have advice on minimizing costs? The procedure is important to me, but it would take the majority of my savings and put me in a vulnerable financial situation.
3. Megasession vs. Multiple Sessions? Given my current self-concious nature regarding my hair, I think I'd like to get it over and done with in one shot. But would this give me poor results?
4. FUE vs. Strip? FUE seems to cost much more, but what would be the best route with my nw 5A hairloss?
5. I will not choose them based upon this forum, but is Bosley really that bad?


Thank you in advance for your help, and I look forward to discussing my options and your experiences.

1. You're on the borderline; I'd wait till you're 30ish to give your hairloss a little more time to stabilize, so that you have a better idea of what you'll need in the end. If nothing else, go conservative.
2. Try financing if you need to, but you'll end up paying a good amount either way. The good news is that the best doctors around are actually also reasonably priced.
3. You'll have multiple sessions either way, don't kid yourself I'd get 1-2 large sessions quickly, then sit on it for a few years to see what happens then and whether you need/want more.
4. Strip. You'll need a lot of hair and strip will be able to provide you with more hair to transplant while being cheaper. The end result will look the same with both. The difference is, with strip you'll have a long narrow scarp, with FUE you'll have a myriad little dot-scars.
5. Yes, Bosley really is that bad.

I can aswer 2 of your questions.

1) Is 25 too young? Not necessarily! However this is why it's important to choose a good doc who doesnt just see you as a dollar sign.
Choosing the right doc with enough experience w/ younger people is important because they can semi-accuratly predict the future hairloss and take the right approach.
4) FUE vs Strip. For a 5a I would say strip. A couple of reasons. Its cheaper, proven more successful, and they can do more grafts w/ the strip!
5) Is Bosley really that bad? YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Just do a search on this forum and google bosley complaints. You'll see a plethera of complaints. In including mine!

OK, so from the first two replies...it seems I should be getting the strip method, and that yes, Bosley is terrible.

Dakota- I like your suggestion of finding a doctor who has working with a lot of people my age with my current hair situation. Does anyone have any advice on a doc with such experience? Again...nw5a and 25 years old.

Dodger,

There are many top notch docs who can help you. From what I read/saw on these forums in terms of results (and of course there are topics here "Top 5" best doctors. In my opinion, there are no top 5 but rather top 5 number ones.

In no particular order:

Dr. Feller
Dr. Alexander
Drs. H&W
Dr. Shapiro
Dr. Keene

Hairdew's got a great list!

I'd also add Rahal, Epstien, Cooley, and True&Dorin.

Do some research have consults w/ as many as you can and then make a decision based on your heart!

I'd say you couldnt go wrong w/ anyone mentioned here.

Dakota, I agree....darn I should have made my list as top 10 number ones

Dodger,

Welcome to our forum community. Where in the Philadelphia area are you from? I'm about 30 to 45 minutes away from the city, in a small suburb called Chalfont, close to Doylestown (a town more well known in my immediate area).

Some of our forum members have already given you some excellent advice. At this time, we do not currently recommend anyone in Pennsylvania however, a multitude of excellent surgeons are in the surrounding areas such as NY, OH, and MD.

I'd consider researching and consulting with the following Coalition Surgeons somewhat local to your area in no particular order:

Dr. True of NY
Dr. Dorin of NY
Dr. Rose of NY and FL
Dr. Epstein of NY
Dr. Feller of NY
Dr. Vogel of MD
Dr. Bernstein of NY
Dr. Haber of OH

Each physician of the Coalition must meet and maintain our high level of membership standards and have been personally visited and evaluated by Pat Hennessey, our online Publisher. See Visits to Leading Hair Transplant Clinics for detailed information.

Spend time researching all physicians you are considering and don't let location be the deciding factor on which physician you select.

Best wishes,

Falc

quote:

Dakota, I agree....darn I should have made my list as top 10 number ones

Isnt it great that we have such a large selection of doc's to choose from?

Sure is

Falc-

I currently live in the city, but I know Bucks County very well.

I noticed in your profile that you did a huge session with Dr. Hasson. Do you think that I would be wise to look into a megasession such as that or go to a doc that is more conservative? I personally would like to get as much done in one procedure as possible, but not if the results wont be good. If you think the megasession might be correct for me, who are the top doctors for this procedure vs. a more typical <2000 graft surgery??

My other question is for anyone in the forum with related experience. I'm starting to think about expanding my geographic range for the procedure and I've looked into "Virtual Consultations." What kind of experience have you guys had with the virtual vs. in-person consults??

Dodger,

In my opinion, only certain patients are candidates for super large megasessions (3500 grafts plus in a single session). Physicians have to consider a patient's age, donor hair availability, hair density, scalp laxity, level of hair loss, and possible future hair loss.

My only concern for you is your age and how much more your hair loss will progress. At 25 and a high degree of balding, you may be heading for a norwood 6 or even a norwood 7 in which case, the hair restoration game plan will have to be a little different.

As a norwood 6, I was able to restore a good amount of hair. However, norwood 7s have a lesser amount of donor hair to work with and more scalp to cover.

You could very well be a candidate for a large megasession however, I recommend that you consult with a few leading clinics and get evaluated. I believe that megasessions in the right hands can be just as effective as smaller ones.

All the Coalition surgeons have the capability and staff to perform over 2500 grafts in a single session. Only a handful however, repeatedly show evidence online of session sizes over 3500 grafts. Be sure to consult with and research all physicians you are considering and make an educated decision.

Best wishes,

Falc